The Musings of the Big Red Carhttp://themusingsofthebigredcar.com
50 years and 185,000 miles of wisdomFri, 02 Dec 2016 16:54:42 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.144014849Strategy, President-elect Trumphttp://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/strategy-president-elect-trump/
http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/strategy-president-elect-trump/#commentsFri, 02 Dec 2016 16:54:42 +0000http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/?p=5341Big Red Car here with some observations as it relates to strategy and President-elect Trump. I am trying to ration my political commentary to allow the man to actually be inaugurated but I did want to note something that I think is being overlooked. Bear with me, if you can. Victory Tour President-elect Trump has […]

The Rust Belt Strategy

Nobody saw Candidate Trump making any inroads in the Rust Belt but the Trump Campaign. Hell, the Rust Belt was universally ignored.

Then, he won it all. He swept the Rust Belt in places his opponent never even visited. How could that be?

Strategy, Big Red Car? Really?

The Victory Tour returns him to the scene of his triumph and brings with it l’Affaire Carrier. Say what you will but for the folks whose jobs were saved, it is a big, big, big deal.

Critics may fairly note that the President of the United States cannot micro-manage each and every employment situation in the Rust Belt and across the United States. Fair play to you, says the Big Red Car.

But, what the President can do is to set a tone. Set an attitude. So, Big Red Car, what is that attitude that your President Trump is setting?

ALL JOBS MATTER!

The strategic implications will have a long term impact if President Trump follows through on his initial efforts.

The Rust Belt working folks will have their champion. They put him in the White House and even before he moved into his new government subsidized housing, he came to thank them. They are no longer ignored.

He brought l’Affaire Carrier with him as concrete results of what he can do that his predecessors were unwilling to even try. Not perfect results but results nonetheless.

Payoff? Strategy has a payoff, Big Red Car

The payoff is:

1. The Rust Belt will — may, will is a bit too strong just yet — become Trump Country.

2. The Rust Belt will support President Trump because he has become their voice.

3. This will play Hell with any Democrat Senators seeking re-election in 2018. [Yes, the 2018 Senate and House races have already begun. Sigh. Merry Christmas!]

4. This is a change of attitude and attitude is the greatest asset a leader has. [When you have a Secretary of Defense named “Mad Dog”, it changes stuff. You think?]

5. The 2020 Census will be upon us and redistricting will follow thereafter. The Dems are left with a sliver of support in the big cities — only the big cities — on the East and West coasts. This will solidify Republican ownership of governers’ mansions and statehouses and this will drive re-districting like never before.

Bottom line it, Big Red Car

President-elect Trump has extraordinary strategic vision and instincts. Can’t see it any other way, can you?

The Rust Belt is open for him to control. If he does this, the future is solidly Republican. [A footnote for y’all — the Big Red Car doesn’t care a whit about parties. The Big Red Car cares abut governance and results. Only results count.]

If executed correctly by the Trumpians, the Democrats are a regional party with a single back bencher row in the Congress. This will set the SCOTUS direction for 40 years into the future.

OK, that’s it. Back to our regular programming. But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Be good to yourself and remember it’s date night.

]]>http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/strategy-president-elect-trump/feed/185341Explorers as CEOs, CEOs as Explorershttp://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/explorers-as-ceos/
http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/explorers-as-ceos/#commentsFri, 02 Dec 2016 15:47:33 +0000http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/?p=5338Explorers, Big Red Car? Big Red Car here. Bit cloudy in the ATX but it is still On Earth As It Is In Texas! So, The Boss is talking to a CEO about his approach to managing change and growing his company. The Boss says, “Think of yourself as an explorer.” The CEO sayeth, “WTF […]

Big Red Car here. Bit cloudy in the ATX but it is still On Earth As It Is In Texas!

So, The Boss is talking to a CEO about his approach to managing change and growing his company.

The Boss says, “Think of yourself as an explorer.”

The CEO sayeth, “WTF are you talking about?”

Managing change, a trick

The Boss has taught many a CEO to manage change within an organization before the team has a chance to react to the proposition by making the following simple ploy:

“I’ve given this a lot of thought, taken your views into consideration, and I think it makes sense to try this experiment. It’s just an experiment and if it doesn’t work, we can walk it backwards. An experiment.”

Anyone who opposes the “experiment” has the added burden of being both against the change and against the concept of change and against the idea of conducting a live fire experiment.

You have to do all the same planning and communication but now you have lowered the threshold and made the decision about an experiment rather than the change itself. Who doesn’t love an experiment?

The outcome is the same — if it works, the experiment becomes permanent. If it doesn’t work, the experiment becomes a “failed” experiment which sounds a lot less painful than the alternative. Some great number of changes do not work but it is even easier to live with a failed experiment. All attitude.

Explorers explore

We — founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs — are often our own worst enemies when it comes to doing what needs to be done. We procrastinate. We take counsel of our fears. We are influenced by others. We are so damn busy. We are afraid to go places where there is no footpath or footprints in the dewy, untrod grass.

The antidote is to simply commit to “explore” something. In the same way you are equivocating with your team to at least taste the pistachio ice cream, you are rationalizing your action with yourself. Become explorers.

On two specific instances, The Boss fell into excellent business offshoots because he simply agreed to “explore” the opportunity. They both took relatively small amounts of money and both bore fruit. Left to a fully staffed and complete analysis, he might have passed on the opportunities but he didn’t. He agreed to explore. Explorers explore.

When you find yourself attracted to a business proposition but unable to convince yourself, let your guard down just a smidgen and “explore” it. This is a call to all founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs — become explorers.

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car and I’ve been exploring the Hill Country while The Boss was out of town. Do not tell The Boss cause I’m still working on him about the paint job. Be kind to yourself and be kind to someone who would never expect it. You’ll like how it feels.

]]>http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/explorers-as-ceos/feed/55338Recount and Other Bed Time Fableshttp://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/the-recount/
http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/the-recount/#commentsMon, 28 Nov 2016 22:56:59 +0000http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/?p=5336The Recount, Big Red Car? Big Red Car here while The Boss is galivanting in Winter Park, Saint Augustine, Savannah, and who knows where? So, The Boss leaves me and the housekeeper to explore the Hill Country with the top down and the accelerator floored. Do. Not. Tell. The. Boss. So, the recount, dear reader? […]

Let’s just say that Jillie is being used by powerful forces as a rented mule to undermine and to challenge the legitimacy of a President Trump (just rolls off one’s tongue, no?) presidency.

Follow. The. Money.

So, there you have it, dear readers. The Hillary Clinton campaign jumps in to keep “the process honest.”

Hahahahahaha, sorry. That was just so damn funny. Haha. I can’t help myself.

This, of course, will change …………………….. nothing.

[The BRC observes that HRC would be advised to steer clear of President Trump’s ire given her legal exposure, no?]

BTW, Jumping Jill Stein appears to have missed the Pennsylvania recount deadline, so there is that, no?

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Happy holidays to all of you. Merry Christmas! (Yes, it is possible to say that again though the Big Red Car never stopped.) Be kind to yourself — you’ve earned it. And, hey, the Big Red Car loves you!

]]>http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/the-recount/feed/45336Finish Stronghttp://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/finishing-strong/
http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/finishing-strong/#commentsWed, 23 Nov 2016 20:21:04 +0000http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/?p=5333Finish strong, Big Red? [I like calling you Big Red rather than Big Red Car, seems so much more familiar and folksy, no?] Big Red Car here on the strength of a trip to NYC to conduct recon on the comings and goings of our nation’s first capital. You did know that, right? NYC was […]

]]>Finish strong, Big Red? [I like calling you Big Red rather than Big Red Car, seems so much more familiar and folksy, no?]

Big Red Car here on the strength of a trip to NYC to conduct recon on the comings and goings of our nation’s first capital. You did know that, right? NYC was our first capital.

So, The Boss is talking to several CEOs — brilliant persons all — and I (eavesdropper that I am) overhear a common lament: CEOs are struggling to find the finish line in the development of their products. This happens across the board whether it is a bit of software alchemy or a website or a product. Or, even, an organizational development, like hiring some more salespersons.

You have to force a finish line and you have to finish strong.

Big Red Car, can you ‘splain that, please?

OK, dear reader, here it is. You’re working on something and you’re mumbling about MVP (minimum viable product), or alpha version, or beta version — and you keep adding features to the product and you keep failing to launch or ship or to take action. You keep moving the finish line and you fail to finish strong.

Maybe, you keep adding features or you want to perfect something (making good the enemy of perfect, you know better than that).

Ever had that happen to you?

It is a matter of simple discipline. Draw the finish line. Finish the product. Ship the product. Launch the product. Make the change. Do it (catchy phrase, someone should get their arms around that one).

But, but, but, Big Red Car, finish strong?

No buts, brilliant CEO.

Remember, you are making a Version 1.0 which will be developed into a Version 1.1 and then 1.2 — you see where this is going right?

Then, when you get to Version 1.5, the modifications are so great, you launch Version 2.0 and the process starts all over again.

[One other thought: make the transition between 1.0 and 2.0 have revenue implications. That has a great way of bringing things into focus. It helps with the definition of things. Revenue. Y’all are doing this stuff to make money, right?]

But, Big Red Car, finish strong?

No, buts. Draw that line. Ship or launch and save that great development for the next version. Don’t disregard it. Put it in as the future Version 2.3 and drive on.

Most of the success attained in the world is accomplished by people who are 80% right but done on time.

If this shoe fits you, wear it. Finish strong.

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Happy Thanksgiving! Be good to yourself, gorge on turkey, and now that you’re getting better and smarter every day. I can tell and the Big Red Car doesn’t miss spit.

]]>http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/finishing-strong/feed/115333Safety Pins, Safe Placeshttp://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/safety-pins/
http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/safety-pins/#commentsWed, 23 Nov 2016 19:45:30 +0000http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/?p=5326Safety pins, Big Red Car? Really? Big Red Car here on a sunny Texas day. Ahhh, On Earth As It Is In Texas! So, the thin skinned liberal elite have taken to wearing safety pins on their lapels to protest the outcome of the recent election. The Big Red Car had heard but not seen […]

Big Red Car here on a sunny Texas day. Ahhh, On Earth As It Is In Texas!

So, the thin skinned liberal elite have taken to wearing safety pins on their lapels to protest the outcome of the recent election. The Big Red Car had heard but not seen this yet.

The Boss returns from an undercover mission to NYC and confirms that people are wearing safety pins on their lapels to indicate their need for a “safe place” from the storm that is President-elect Donald J Trump.

These are, of course, the same type of pins that were used to cinch up a baby’s cloth diaper back in the day.

Most of y’all don’t know about cloth diapers. Here’s how they used to work.

Here’s where you can get one for yourself. Safety pins! <<<link for y’all. These are jewelry safety pins and they will look lovely on a lapel or a dress. I hope you will opt for the jewelry quality though they are a little more expensive.

You need to get over your thin-skinned, whiny, loser, leftist, liberal ways and get back to work. The election is over. The new President is Donald J Trump and you look silly with your diaper fastening safety pins. Sorry, that was insensitive.

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know any way? I’m just a Big Red Car and I do not do safety pins or safe places. Grow up.